This invention relates to a sheet metal carrier strip for electrical contact pins used for the production of electrical multipole connectors, comprising a planar substantially rectangular base portion, two rows of upright legs formed at each longitudinal edge of the base portion, the legs of both rows alternately arranged in parallel vertical planes transversely offset one from another by at least the thickness of the legs, a recess provided in each leg, the recess opening at an upper edge of the leg, all recesses in pairs being transversely aligned and designed to insert a contact pin respectively.
A carrier strip of this kind is known from DE-U-9314510. This carrier strip comprises legs, which are separated via transverse separating cuts in the strip, and afterwards bent upright. According to this document the legs follow each other without spacing. Based on a center-to-center spacing of the contact pins of 0.050 inches the arms of each leg, which are holding the contact pins, have a width of approx. 0.012 inches. The thickness of the legs is about the same. Thus the upright arms of the legs have a very small diameter with respective bending tenderness. Consequently the insertion of the contact pins requires a high-grade accuracy for both strength effort and direction. Even minimum misalignments might lead to a distortion of the legs'arms.
The EP-A-0501392 discloses a carrier strip similiar to the aforementioned, where the distance between the upright bent legs is not alternating but staying the same. Instead of the alternating distance of each pair of legs is transversely offset by at least one thickness of the legs. The separation of the legs is effected via shearing at predetermined lines. As a result the edges of the consecutive legs are transversely offset, but positioned at the same transverse planes defined by the respective cut lines.
The DE-C-4014557 discloses a carrier strip with free cuts between each two legs. Then the legs are bent upward, so that they form edges of the strip in the same longitudinal planes.